Bad Shot
by Charmaps
Summary: Old cases can come back to haunt any team member, but when things get out of hand they also get dangerous for all.
1. Chapter 1

Bad Shot – Full

Chapter One – Hard Heads

"Thanks again Nate" John said extending his hand for the familiar handshake. This was not the first time Nate Getz had got him out of a hole. Probably would not be the last either. Nate had quite the list of IOU's if he ever wanted to call on John for them.

"No problem" Nate replied easily, "let me know what paperwork you need from me" he continued. If truth be told Nate quite enjoyed his excursions to LAPD. He worked as an independent profiler for them when they needed another perspective. This morning had been a productive morning with a good arrest. Another scumbag down as John liked to say.

"If ever you want to quit the day job and join the big boys you know I'll hire you in a heartbeat".

Of course there was a little downside, John always came round to this route of conversation and Nate had to defend an imaginary very boring job in NCIS recruitment, his cover story.

As Nate took a breath ready to wax lyrical about preferring the office to situations like this morning that needed stab vests and police dogs. After 11 months in the Middle East and Africa this morning was truthfully a cake walk but John did not have to know that. Nate however was saved from having to talk the spiel as John was called away to booking to deal with the collar.

Nate smiled to himself glad of the morning's change of pace but actually happy to be heading back to the office. He had had three messages already from Eric, apparently the team had a new case and for once they really wanted a profile. A sign it was not a pretty case.

As Nate approached his car contemplating if he had time for a drive through breakfast on the way to the office, his day had started at 3am after all, he felt wrong, like he was being watched. Nate took his time getting his keys from his pockets and changing the hand that held his bag all the time subtly looking around and checking reflections in his car windows.

Something was wrong, out of place. Nate gave himself a shake, declaring himself paranoid, he was in a police station parking lot for goodness sake. As he got into his car his rear door window exploded showering Nate in glass. Nate dropped to the ground and scrambled around to the back of his car to get cover. He felt his arm tear as a round found him but before he could assess the damage his world went black.

When Nate came too he had a paramedic holding a gauze to his head and another shinning a light in his eyes. John was hovering over both of the paramedics and yelling into his phone, when he saw Nate had opened his eyes he ended the conversation tersely and turned his attention to his friend.

"Anything I need to know Dr" John asked the younger man.

"What happened?" Nate asked back "It's all a bit fuzzy".

John laughed, "You just got shot in the arm in a cop shop parking lot. Not to mention the bullet that grazed that thick skull of yours. By a lousy shot we think it was more luck you got hit then skill".

"Shot?" Nate tried to sit up but was pushed back down by paramedic one, "Who?"

"That's what I want to know" John responded, "anyone you can think of?"

Nate contemplated that question, deciding it was one he could not answer, to John anyway. He decided to be more practical, "I need to call my office".

John sighed knowing when he was being stonewalled. "I already did".

As if purely to prove the point a silver SUV came rampaging through the gate, halting abruptly and expelling a anxious Kensi and slightly calmer Deeks. Nate would of laughed at the timing, most especially the look on Johns face if he had not suddenly felt guilty. He was the cause of the concern on his team mates faces.

Kensi spotted Nate on the ground with two paramedics working on him. Flashing her identity she bypassed everyone in her way to get to Nate.

Once close enough she ascertained that Nate was not about to die on them and then turned on John who was the closest and appeared to be in charge. "I'm agent Kensi Blye and you are?"

"John Reddick, LAPD negotiator" He introduced himself extending his hand in greeting. "Dr Getz was consulting this morning. We were done and he was on his way back to NCIS recruitment when this happened".

"Recruitment?" Deeks chimed in before silently gasping for breath as Kensi's elbow found a particularly delicate rib. Despite Sam's mentoring he still was a little LAPD and missing the fundamentals of all agents' lives. Nate may exist, a step up from the others, but his job did not. His cover was general psychologist things such as checking applications and reviewing parole requests.

John smirked to himself, he never brought Nate's job story. The man was too good, too ambitious to be in a low level job. "So who has jurisdiction? You're man and our car park".

"How about we work the crime scene together and go from there" Kensi offered, knowing while the crime scene was in LAPD territory there was no point wasting time arguing.

"Was there an element from this morning that could be involved here" Sam asked materialising from no-where; Callen was knelt down next to Nate talking to the paramedics.

"Sam Hanna" Sam gave by way of introduction. Then he waited for a response.

John contemplated the two new men who had appeared from no-where before answering. "No it was a straight forward domestic, husband in hospital and the wife is in lock-up. The husband's mistress is in county morgue. No guns or other parties as far as we are concerned. I will take a closer look of course but don't think it will be a cause for this. What about your side, any rejected applications?" John asked turning a smirk on Nate. Nate to his credit held the man's gaze, not difficult when the world would not focus.

Callen had joined the group by now and exchanged glances with Sam, Kensi smoothly stepped in "We will look into his files".

"Well I better look into what we have I will of course pass on everything. Call me later to let me know what you find, if you can", he added.

"Sir" a uniform called over to Reddick, "we have found the spot the shooter was and some casings, roof of the Hot Hub coffee shop".

"Show me" Sam said directed at the uniform.

Callen watched Sam go with Kensi in tow. Nate was being lifted on a stretcher arguing all the way. "Shot in the arm and one ricochet off his hard head, he'll live" Callen said in way of answering the unasked question. No one was happy on the team two shot in the space of a year. Deeks was unconsciously rubbing his own scars. Something not missed by Callen or the protesting Nate who immediately fell silent.

Deeks went with Nate to the hospital whilst Callen interviewed more witnesses and Sam and Kensi went over the roof top. When they were all done with the exception of Nate they headed back to the office.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Classified Ladder

Nate sat on the edge of the ER bed three hours after being admitted and diagnosed with a mild concussion and a deep flesh wound to his left arm that Deeks just had to prod. The man had gone to the office once Nate had arrived in the ER but returned shortly after to pick up Nate. The reason for his trip was lost on Nate but he had enjoyed the temporary peace.

"Really? Do I need to call Kensi?" Nate asked as way of deterrent to the bored detective and just to see the reaction. Deeks might think no-one noticed that he was deeply smitten by Kensi and equally terrified of her but the others did and Nate defiantly did. It was his job the subtle voice and speech changes, the difference in body language; the glances that he guessed even Deeks did not know he did. Kensi was no better other then she knew the others knew her change in behaviour around Deeks and tried to mask it with aggression.

Nate did not need to be a student of human body language to know that Deeks loved her aggression because it meant physical contact. Nate quietly looked forward to the day Kensi worked that out.

"No" Deeks responded quickly, "Don't call Kensi". Deeks was aware how fond of Nate Kensi was, hurting him would make Kensi hurt Deeks. Silently he wondered if Nate was competition, when Nate was around and not overseas Kensi hugged him a lot and they had a standing date to go for hot dogs at the end of any case. But at the same time it seemed thoroughly platonic and surely it would be breaking some oath or ethic if Nate got involved with his 'patient'? But this was Kensi would that stop him? It would not stop Deeks.

"Okay you are free to go" the ER doctor announced from the spot where he had been watching the psychologist and the detective. "Take it easy and if you get any severe headaches, nausea or vision difficulty come straight back".

"Thank you Dr" Nate said politely to the man before hopping to the floor and bustling straight past Deeks. He was headed to the office and knew Deeks meant to take him home. Being shot had unnerved and equally annoyed the doctor and he intended to be involved in his own investigation. Unfortunately Nate realised after a few steps he needed Deeks to drive as his own car had been shot along with him.

Nate stopped abruptly ready to argue his case of going to the office and not home but before he could round on Deeks, the shorter man had ploughed into Nate and knocked them both off balance. With one arm in a sling Nate could not do much other then hold onto Deeks for balance who was equally holding onto Nate to keep his. Somehow they stayed on their feet and before Deeks could make any comment Nate told him to take him to the office. Deeks remembering how he felt when he was shot and on the sidelines of the investigation simply nodded a yes and together they headed to the car each lost in their thoughts.

Nate was trying to think of who would want to shot him it was not as short a list as he would have liked, and Deeks was remembering his own ordeal and time in this very hospital. Maybe when Nate was back on track and not being shot at Deeks could make use of his skills, just to vent a few things. He absolutely did not need therapy. No sir, not him.

When, much to Hetty's displeasure, Deeks strolled into the ops centre with Nate on his heels the duo found the team looking at a screen full of faces. Nate recognised them as people he had had a big part in putting away either through profiling or testimony of mental states. It was not a pleasant sight to look at a screen of people who potential could mean you harm.

The team had at least 30 images up and were narrowing down the list they explained to Nate.

"First we eliminated all who are still inside and the ones that are dead" Nell elaborated for him. "We have 28 left".

Nate felt bad putting a dampener on their work but it had to be said, "What about my cases outside of this office?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Sam responded.

"All of these are from my NCIS cases, what about the consulting work I have done? Most of these" Nate waved his arm at the screen to elaborate his point, "would want one of you guys or other agents dead over me. At most they met me in the boat shed or never".

"Nate has a point" Callen said "Eric bring up Nate's over cases".

"Bringing up" Eric replied as he tapped away at the keyboard closest to him.

After a few seconds new photo's started to appear. A lot of new photo's. Too many for the screen to handle. All heads turned to look at Nate with varying degrees of surprise. Well what did they think he did here to all hours cleaning up after their messes was not that time consuming and there were so many bad guys out there that needed to be stopped.

"Nate you need more vacation time" Kensi said sounding exasperated, "Nell can we reduce this list to those not in prison and currently alive?"

"Sure" Nell said and after a moment just over half of the new images disappeared.

"We can't rule out those in prison" Deeks said being the pragmatist.

"I'll go through the incarcerated potentials and see who have made threats or could have the resources" Nell chimed in. Callen nodded his approval.

"Let's deal with the suspects in turn, eliminate the more minor crimes" Callen instructed Eric. Again the pictures on the screen reduced in number.

"Well that looks more manageable, please keep me informed ladies and gentleman" Hetty said as she walked out of ops, patting Nate on his good arm on the way. "I have a clean shirt for you when you are ready Dr Getz" she tossed back over her shoulder as the doors closed.

Nate looked down at what he was wearing and realised it was a bit dirty, torn and bloody. It had been on top of the washing hamper this morning when he got his 3am phone call. It had also been chosen by Rose and had automatically become one of his favourites simply for that reason.

"What are these black squares Nell?" Sam asked drawing everyone's attention away from Nate's state of dress and back to the screen.

"I don't know" Nell replied tapping away on her data pad.

Eric answered for her. "They are classified cases, classified way above our pay grade" he elaborated dramatically.

"Nate?" Callen said wading into the conversation as the team leader he was responsible for all the members and was not impressed that there was something he did not know.

"Umm, other agencies, nothing really" Nate said trying to dodge the subject.

Callen and Sam exchanged glances, "I think he's hiding something" Sam started.

Callen soon joined in. "Me too Sam, and here was me thinking we were a team"

"Guess he is not a team player, I say who cares who shot him" Sam continued all the time staring down Nate with his arms crossed. He was getting annoyed.

"Me too Sam, it's sad when a man can't play nicely with the others"

"He's cheating on us G" Sam said this time looking at Callen.

"He cheated Sam" Callen replied shaking his head and looking at Nate pitifully.

"Wait, it's not like that guys" Nate said slightly panicked, his good hand fiddling with his sling strap, knowing he was falling for the ruse but talking anyway, "I may sometimes consult for other agencies on cases that are classified higher than the usual for this office but I am NCIS first".

"So you saying you out rank us on the classified scale?" Sam challenged.

"You pulling rank on us Nate, you may get more bullet holes" Callen threatened.

"I don't have any holes today just grazes" Nate replied side stepping the issue and physically side stepping a closing in Team. He came to a stop in front of the screen and attempted to end the conversation categorically, "and these three cases are defiantly not why anyone was shooting at me today, those left alive are not free and able".

Nate's final statement seemed to stop the conversation and as an added distraction the office mail handler came into the ops centre and handed Nate a parcel. "It's been screened and x-rayed nothing solid, metal or electrical inside" he announced unceremoniously before walking back out the way he had come.

Nate stared at the small box in his good hand, it was about the size of a brick, the address was handwritten and had been addressed to the main NCIS mail centre. Before he could start to open it Nell moved to stand next to him.

"Ummm" Nell said quietly, "There are four classified cases".

Nate turned, still holding his parcel, and looked at the screen and taking in the numbers on the black picture boxes worked out which were which. The fourth box took him longer to bring to mind by number. It was the lettering at the start of the number that really brought it back to mind. They stood for the city police department where it had all happened.

"Oh", he paused before pushing aside bad memories. "No not that one either, she is defiantly not free, but does want to kill me slowly and painfully. She would not shoot me".

"Reddick seemed to think the shots were bad shots, what if they were to scare and graze not kill?" Kensi declared.

"Would fit her MO but she got 8 consecutive life sentences, she is not on the streets" Nate wanted them to leave this subject alone. Badly.

"What's her name? Callen asked.

"She never had one" Nate replied still looking lost in thoughts. "Look up Federal Detention Centre Houston" Nate asked in Nell and Eric's general direction. It was no use till they got a few details the matter would not drop.

Without looking up he started to open the parcel with his good hand whilst gripping it in his left hand.

"What name?" Eric asked after a moment of watching him expectantly,

"Jane Doe" Nate said simply before finally opening the inside box.

When he opened the parcel though all ideas that it was not Jane were dispelled. In the box was small simple knitted doll in parts. It was obvious that the child's doll had been pulled apart limb by limb and head. It was Jane's Signature.

"That's just sick" Eric stated from Nate's shoulder making him jump. All eyes turned to Nate and his box. Soon all were taking a gander at the dismembered doll but before questions could start Nell broke the silence by announcing that there was no Jane Doe listed at the prison Nate had said.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Text no text

"I need to make a phone call" Nate said.

"Who to?" Callen asked. "Nate" he prompted when the man in question simply continued to stare at the doll in his hand rather than answer the question.

Kensi approached Nate and gently took the box from his hand, "Let's send this to forensics see what they find" she said. Taking the toy away from him seemed to free up his attention.

Callen asked his question again, "Who do you need to call Nate?"

"Detective Reddick, I knew him from Houston PD before he worked for LAPD. He was a police psychologist at the time. We met over this woman. It's complicated" Nate tried to explain.

"Eric call up Reddick" Sam instructed.

After a moment the sounds of a phone dial tone could be heard and the John Reddick's voice, "Hello, Reddick"

"Mr Reddick, this is Sam Hanna we met earlier today in the parking lot"

"Yes I remember how is Nate?" Reddick asked sounding genuinely concerned for the younger man.

"I'm fine John", Nate cut in, this was going to be a hard conversation for both of them and Sam was being too confrontational. "I just received a dismembered hand knitted doll" Nate said softly. There was far more loaded in that sentence than anyone else present could grasp.

There was silence on the line for so long that people started to wonder if Reddick was still on the phone. Finally he responded. "Nate you need to get out of the state, hell get out of the country, find a safe house far away and don't come back".

"John is she out of prison?" Nate asked again he spoke softly.

"She doesn't have to be Nate, if she has decided it's time we die, then it's time" John paused and cleared his throat.

"You need to go too, to a safe house" Nate returned over the sound of John's coughing.

"John" Nate practically yelled at the air startling everyone, "What did you drink?"

"Coffee, shit that bitch has not" John never finished his sentence more coughing and hacking could be heard before the line disconnected.

"Eric call back find out what happened" Callen instructed before turning to Deeks who nodded and grabbed his phone without needing to be asked to make some calls and be a liaison.

Nate stood stock still in the ops centre, Nell closest to him was trying to get his attention but he was too busy thinking back to all the details of the case all those years earlier. Time may have passed but he found it all came flooding back like it was yesterday.

"Poison, in his coffee, She does that. It will take a few minutes and he is suffering" Nate said to the room before leaving the ops centre. Obviously very upset by what was happening to his friend.

Everyone stared at the empty space he left. Shocked by the statement he had just made. Eric was on the phone so Callen addressed Nell, "Work out which case and all the information you can" he said before he followed after Nate.

"I'll have to make requests; it's going to take a little while. Nell addressed Kensi as only she was left in proximity. Sam was at the screen engrossed in pulling up information. He was going back to the shooting video. He had a hunch, no-one had been looking for a woman at the scene earlier, now he was.

Eric came off the phone at this point, "I was speaking to one of Reddick's team. Reddick just died choking in his own blood and vomit like he dissolved from the inside, and he was screaming in the back ground Sam".

Sam, Kensi, Nell and Eric all exchanged glances. All a bit shocked by the accuracy of Nate's statement. They needed to get to the bottom of this before Nate met a similar fate.

Downstairs in a daze Nate had approached Hetty and was letting her help him into a clean shirt; he pushed away any efforts to put his sling back in place. "I'll get this one fixed up Nate" she said to the silent man indicating the discarded shirt. He had not said a word simply appeared in the dressing area and started to take off his sling and shirt. Callen was stood by silently watching. Whatever had transpired upstairs she would get told in good time but for now she attended to practicalities.

Callen's phone had bleeped and he had looked at it before sadly glancing at Nate. The text was from Eric confirming and describing John Reddick's death.

"John died Nate, like you said. I need more information to protect you" Callen said to Nate attempting to be gentle. He was imitating how Nate would act to one of them in this situation.

Hetty's head whipped round. "John Reddick?" She asked.

Callen nodded an affirmative. "Can you tell me anything?" he asked the woman who had given up on dressing Nate in a sling. He had stood up thwarting any efforts of hers to get it round his neck. She scowled at the Doctor before turning back to Callen.

"It was his work with Dr Reddick that brought Nate's talents to my attention" she said. "I know he was a good friend and mentor Nate, I'm sorry".

"Not as sorry as Jane will be" Nate said quietly. "I need to see a list of missing people from here to Houston and I need to know when she got out of prison Hetty".

"Well you better get back upstairs and ask Nell and Eric to help you with the missing persons I will follow up with the prison, Houston you say?" Hetty replied. "Is this the case I think it is?"

Nate nodded a yes.

"I think I prefer drug dealers and terrorists over this kind of evil" Hetty finished before pulling out her cardex and picking up her phone. She dismissed the duo with a wave of her arm.

Callen and Nate headed back upstairs followed by Deeks. "They think it was in some coffee that was brought into the precinct, a few officers got ill, not just Reddick died all hell is breaking lose down there, they want answers" Deeks told everyone as they entered the ops centre. "I think they are going with cop killer theory for now and just thinking that Nate was a victim of opportunity in the car park now that the precinct has been targeted. They got coffee and doughnuts from the same place after a bust like this mornings".

"I normally stay, should have stayed, if I had been there" Nate let the sentence hang, what could he have done if he was there, die with John?

"Why didn't you stay?" Deeks asked not meaning it to sound the way it came out.

"Eric kept texting me about your new case. As soon as we got back to the station I headed to my car" Nate started to explain.

"I did not text you today Nate" Eric said looking a bit bemused.

"Yes you did, I had to get back, Callen really wants a profile" Nate said looking from Eric to Callen.

"There is no new case today Nate, we were using the day for skills updates till Reddick called to say you had been shot"

"Give me your phone, let's look at what is going on" Eric said to Nate. The man reached for his phone with his bad arm then thinking better of it with a grimace used his good arm to take his phone from his opposite pocket, outside of the circumstances it might of looked funny, he was not having much success and in a quick movement Sam had pick pocketed Nate's phone before Nate even knew he was going to.

Eric took the phone from Sam and headed to a work bench to look over the phone whilst Nell had pulled up on screen Nate's phone log.

The log showed him receiving a 3am wakeup call and the texts showing they were from the ops centre but again Nell and Eric both denied they had sent them.

"If LAPD think there is a cop killer gunning for them, they are right and wrong, we need to tell them who they are looking for" Nate said.

"We'll keep them in the loop Nate but first we need answers so we know what to tell them" Callen responded.

Nate nodded and drew a deep breath before setting himself in front of the screen and addressing the group. On the screen now was only the video of the car park at the time of the shooting and the one black square saying classified. Nate indicated the black square.

"This goes back to my first year after getting my doctorate. I was working for Houston PD. A different division to John, he was a psychologist come profiler come negotiator back then and I was the office psychologist the cops talked to after shootings and other traumatic incidents. No-one spoke to me unless they really had too. I was also working with the anti-terrorist squad, even then I was starting to specialise in terrorism, organised crime and gangs and the such. Any crime motivated by social behaviour and groups. One day one of the members of the anti-terrorist squad ended up on my couch after a shooting. Her name was Jane, Jane Doe."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Technical Lectures

Nate continued to tell his story about a gun obsessed cop who had caught up civilians in a situation. An elderly man had died as a result of her impatience to wait for orders.

"Once it became obvious that she was going to have a court case she disappeared. As the search for her unfolded so did a history of hidden crimes, stolen weapons being stored. Bodies were found of dead pimps, suspected muggers and other characters the world would not miss. She was a one woman army vigilante. Every time she was charged with something else she would target the police investigating her. First it was small incendiary devices in desk draws and lockers, jump attacks and shootings escalating up to the group poisonings. It was always a public attack and she had a thing for leaving dolls, the only thing I can't explain. She never said why".

"She sounds like a peach" Callen said wryly as they all processed what they had been told and sorted through all the crime scene photos and files Nell had acquired after assorted requests and a phone call from Hetty.

Due to the nature of the crimes and the sensitive evidence, a lot of the crimes had taken place in sensitive locations, and to protect the families in part the trial had been closed and the case had been classified.

"What I don"t understand" Nate continued "is why send me texts and get me outside I would of been one of the first to drink the coffee. Why not shoot me in the car park or poison me? If she wants to take revenge now leaving me alive to identify her early seems counter productive".

"For the same reason she sent the doll" Sam replied, "she is playing with you before she kills you too".

"Why kill Reddick and play with you and not vice versa" asked Callen directly to Nate.

"She blames me for her arrest. She wanted me to turn around, let her go and continue to do good deeds. She believes she is destined to clean the world of those that sully it and she shows no remorse for any life including the innocent men and the cops she killed. Jane had a traumatic childhood and acquired a false identity to join the police. I don't know how she passed the psych evaluation I knew she was wrong half way our first session. By the end of it I knew she was not who she claimed to be. She went from respected officer to Jane Doe, HPD's most wanted in a morning. Serial killer by the end of the week".

Nate went quiet after the short speech chewing on his lip and staring at the flat screen in the ops centre though they all knew he was not seeing what was in front of him. The team all shared glances of concern he was focused one moment distracted the next. He was holding something back.

"What are we going to do with Nate for now" Kensi asked waving her hand in his direction. "he can't just go home".

Nate looked up again and had the open mouthed look of someone trying to answer a question he was not quite sure he had heard. Before anything more could be said on the subject Eric jumped up from his seat.

"I know how she sent the texts", Eric announced "She cloned your phone three days ago".

"She was able to use data to make it look like we sent the texts, they never originated here", Eric was getting up speed "You see if you"

"You didn't do it, we get it" Sam cut in "Can you find her through the texts?"

"No, they led to a burn phone brought with cash, the texts were sent from the vicinity of the police station. Nell is going through all the surveillance footage to see if she can see Jane Doe anywhere". Eric answered looking a bit deflated that his technical lecture had been derailed.

"Don't worry you can tell me later I'm interested" Nate told Eric squeezing his shoulder. Eric gave a nod and a small smile in return. He knew Nate would listen and be attentive he always was but whether it was genuine or because his job required him to bolster Eric's morale he never had worked out. But Nate would let him ramble later and listen, if he was still alive too that was.

The team spent the remainder of the afternoon looking through what was available of Jane Doe's life looking for clues. Not knowing who she was before she joined the police did not help matters.

Hetty had found that Jane Doe had escaped from prison during a transfer to a hospital appointment 8 months previous Nate had been on assignment in the field at the time so the information had escaped him. Reddick had not been considered important enough to inform.

Whilst the team searched for information Nate had got Nell to bring up all missing persons reports from the time that Jane had escaped. He had separated off and gone to his office to work through the list. He had not achieved much since he had got to his office. His thoughts were preoccupied by his dead friend.

When he did however start to concentrate on the missing people he found the pattern he was looking for quickly. Getting up from his desk he headed towards ops but seeing Hetty in there involved in a video call with director Vance he made his way down to the break room. A coffee break before he waylaid Nell again for more help.

It was into the evening now and the office was slowing down to it's night speed with less people around though it seemed busier than usual. From the glances Nate was getting he realised they were still there working on 'his' case. He sighed inwardly and headed to the coffee pot. Filling the biggest cup available and adding sugar for some energy he took his drink and went and sat on the sofa till he saw the coast was clear to approach Nell.

It was totally dark outside when Nate opened his eyes again. His cup of now cold coffee was on the table next to his feet and the files he had had on his lap were in Callen's and being scrutinised closely. From the pictures separated and the low conversation with Nell it was obvious that Callen had recognised the pattern from the files that Nate had separated and was already following up the lead with Nell just as Nate had planned to. He worked in a good team. His team. John would of liked them if he could of got to know them.

The thought of John made Nate's eyes sting. He sat up abruptly clearing the tears and his throat before standing and heading to get hot coffee. He would of drank it cold but did not want to be seen upset in front of Callen and Nell.

They watched him walk away and politely ignored his moment of vulnerability. Callen finished up his conversation with Nell who took the files and headed up to the ops centre to pull an all-nighter. As Nate had practically already done an all-nighter before being shot Callen decided he was going home. Just how to dislodge the resident behavioural psychologist was his immediate assignment.

When Callen walked into the break room, Nate had already poured out the cold coffee or downed it either were feasible with the Doc and had refilled the mug. Callen noted the amounts of sugar a man who did not take sugar was adding. Definitely time for sleep.

"Kensi had a point" Callen started but was cut off by Nate, "I can sleep on my office couch, I'll be fine you go home, so should Nell these things can be followed up tomorrow.

"Nell will get searches going then get some sleep. You on the other hand will not get any sleep on the coach in your office unless you lose a few feet in height walking up there. I can't sleep on it and believe me I've tried". Callen cut him off in return.

"Then I'll sleep down here it was fine a few minutes ago" Nate said.

"That was exhaustion not sleep Nate".

"Then where? I know my apartment's probably going to explode if I go there" Nate asked.

"My spare room" Callen answered

"You're spare room" Nate said not quite sure he had just heard right.

"You encouraged Hetty to get me to buy it before disappearing for months at a time" Callen replied already heading for the door making Nate follow him in order to maintain the conversation.

Callen picked up two bags as he passed his desk, one of which Nate realised was his. The last he had seen of it it was in his car before it and he got shot at. Realising he had missed the conversation determining where he would be staying the night he just decided to follow Callen. His arm heart, his head hurt, he was tired and he hurt for a dear friend.

"Wait Do you even have furniture in there?" Nate blurted out. He was a man who liked his creature comforts he did not do sleeping on floors willingly though that had changed a little over recent months. He could sleep on any surface now he just chose comfy beds still.

"Not yet, but I have a roll" Callen replied as he pushed open the doors to the entrance.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Uncoordinated Women

The next morning Nate woke feeling stiff and confused as to where he was. The events of the previous day came back to him quickly as did where he was. He was in Callens bed and the agent was on the floor in the living room playing guard dog. Nate had tried to argue the sleeping arrangement but it was a wasted effort. Callen almost seemed happy to have a legitimate excuse to sleep on the roll and not the bed. Old habits are hard to break Nate reasoned and after a fitful start had slept deeply.

The early morning light was still dim telling Nate it was very early. Quietly he made his way to the bathroom and did his best with one good arm to freshen up for the day ahead.

Something was nagging at him about the previous day's events. It was as though the good night's sleep had let him put his thoughts straight and now they all needed looking over. He knew if he gave it time what was nagging him would come to the surface. Trust the mind to work it all out. He had always believed that. He had after all, in his line of work, the need to trust the mind they were the places he knew.

When Nate emerged from the bathroom Callen was in the kitchen pouring two travel mugs with coffee. The microwave was humming.

"So, what do you think of my house? you were a bit quiet last night" Callen asked as he put down the coffee jug and headed to the microwave as it binged. Nate could see that Callen had already showered and was dressed ready to head back to the office as soon as Nate was.

"It's great, how do you feel about having somewhere more permanent?" Nate asked situating himself against a sideboard having picked up one of the coffee's. Callen though was not going to be drawn down that line of thinking. He shook his finger at Nate before taking two microwave egg muffins out and offering one to Nate.

"I invited you here to sleep over not climb inside my head." Callen said in a very finale voice.

Nate not feeling inclined to push the issue took the food gratefully he was suddenly very hungry when faced with food. In a response to show he was going to drop the issue he took a big bite of breakfast instead of talking.

Still devouring his breakfast much to Callens amusement the two men walked out to the car with Callen managing two bags, a coffee, a muffin and setting the alarm and locking the door.

Nate was not oblivious to Callen carrying his bag again or the juggling feat he was performing but was aware Callen could handle it and he much preferred his breakfast to pretending Callen was going to let him carry his bag.

Half way to the car Nate stopped, almost choking around his mouthful of food.

"Eric says you can't clone a phone without doing it physically" Nate mumbled around his food.

"Huh?" Callen replied balancing bags on his knees as he opened the car.

"My phone Eric and Nell said it was cloned. Don't you have to do that physically?"

Nate had started walking again and was arriving at the car. Ignoring Callen as he dropped the bags in the car boot and grabbing his he held his coffee with his bad arm whilst rummaging in his bag for a pen and paper.

Callen trying to make the link between phone cloning and why this made Nate need pen and paper decided to not worry about that and used his phone to call Eric.

When Callen hung up from talking to Eric he turned his attention back to Nate who had climbed into the front seat and was deeply concentrating on writing what appeared to be a list.

As Callen was climbing into the driver's seat Sam pulled up in his car. Nate sat oblivious to the new arrival in the car whilst Callen walked back to Sam's window.

"How is he?" Sam asked in way of greeting.

"He's Nate" Callen responded vaguely, "What you got?"

"Here's a new phone for Nate, Nell thinks Nate's phone was cloned physically due to all the security features we have on ours as standard" Sam said, "We all have new numbers due to the leak but the real question was where did Nate's phone get cloned".

"I think the doc is currently tussling with the same dilemma" Callen replied "Let's see what he comes up with".

As if on cue Nate opened his car door and headed towards the talking agents piece of paper in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Eric said three days. My phone stayed in my pocket the whole day". Nate stated as though they would perfectly follow, which they did of course.

"Walk us through your day Nate" Sam asked.

"Hmm, I got to the office at five in the morning, left at maybe seven that night spent the whole day in my office mostly on the phone. Dinner with John at a burger joint, bed by ten I was tired".

"Was the dinner planned?" Sam asked Nate.

"No I would have worked through dinner but John pushed me to meet up with him". Nate replied pensively. "It was strange" he continued, "Usually we talk cases or articles but this dinner, he started reminiscing, bringing up stories and events from years ago. I asked him if everything was alright and he said he had met an old acquaintance and was feeling nostalgic. I asked who but he said no-one I knew".

"Did you give him your phone?" Callen asked.

Nate paused contemplating "No I had it in my trouser pocket or jacket pocket all day" Nate said before going quiet starring into the distance again.

Callen and Sam glanced at each other before Sam snapped his fingers in front of Nate's nose, bringing the wandering thoughts back to the present. "There was this party of very happy woman, having trouble co-coordinating, this one woman kept walking into me and even fell on my lap, it was getting annoying, a hen party I think".

Sam politely hid a snigger, Nate was too much the gentleman sometimes. "I'll get Eric to check for cameras" he said never looking at Nate before waving a goodbye and getting back into his car.

Callen handed Nate the new phone Sam had delivered as they got back in the car. Nate shoved the new phone as far into his trouser pocket as it would go. No-one was getting that one from him.

"When we get to the office" Callen started before Nate broke in, "Take the next exit and turn left down West 23rd"

Callen dithered for a moment before taking the exit, "Where we going?"

"A mailbox store, there is a few of us that have keys, including John, we use it for anonymously reading and reviewing each other's work before we publish, occasionally leaving other things for each other". Nate answered quietly before giving more driving directions.

"Publish" Callen asked.

"We all publish reports and research, there is a standing agreement that work gets put in there and whoever goes next to leave something reads what is in there fairly and constructively before putting it back. We use the stores automated alert of delivery system so we get alerts whenever someone goes to the box. I got an alert yesterday that something got dropped on Thursday, it may be nothing".

Callen contemplated Nate wondering how he never realized that the man's life revolved around work, and apparently not much else. They had always thought Nate driven but they had never realized how much.

When they pulled up to the mail box store, Callen had already been around the block once and got an idea of the layout of the area. "Let's be quick, straight in and out".

Nate nodded his understanding before they got out of the car. Once out Nate went first whilst Callen kept and eagle eye on their surroundings. Callen Stood by the door whilst Nate quickly opened his box, Callen was not sure what he had expected from Nate but it was not what happened next.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – With Bells on

Nate opened the door to his box and immediately tried to re-shut it but it was too late. A loud bang was heard and the store quickly filled with smoke. Nate who had got a face full of the smoke was on his knees and crawling to the door. The shop attendant and a lady who had been going about her own business were already out of the door making Callen have to step aside before he could step back in to the door way and pull the blindly fumbling Nate the rest of the way out to the street.

Callen grabbed a bottle of water from the car before pouring it over Nate much to the bigger mans surprise and displeasure and for good measure pouring some over his own face to ease his own irritation. Once Nate was leaning back on the car Callen put in a call to ops.

Twenty minutes later for the second day running Kensi, Sam and Deeks arrived at a crime scene where Nate had been the target. Nate was still coughing and spluttering and for the most part unable to see. He looked miserable and fed up under the red blotchiness.

"Anyone else really starting to dislike this woman?" Deeks asked.

Kensi, taking pity on Nate guided him to his feet and helped him into her car. "I'm taking Nate back to ops, see what Hetty has in her box of tricks for his face and he really needs new clothes".

"Don't let him take you on any detours" Callen threw after Kensi. Kensi saluted in understanding before climbing into her car and driving off.

"Deeks why don't you ride back to the station with a uniform and do some liaising see what they have got." Callen instructed.

"Will call you with anything" Deeks responded before rounding up a resentful uniform and heading away.

"Think there is anyone in the LAPD who Deeks hasn't pissed off" Sam asked materialising at Callen's side.

"Nope" Callen replied succinctly.

Callen and Sam stayed at the crime scene long enough to ensure Eric could get the surveillance footage then they headed back to ops as well.

Back at ops they found the bullpen empty except for Nate, in a fresh set of clothes and with his sling in place, sat on the sofa a damp cloth over his face. Hetty was walking away from the sleeping man a smug look on her face. Nates head was leant on the sofa back and from his hands twitching they could tell he was really awake and deep in thought.

"Spill it Nate" Sam said as he and Callen took seats close to him. Sam deposited a coffee in front of Nate unnoticed "She's still on some vigilante crusade. Since her escape she has left a trail of known or suspected criminals. Jane escaped and spends her trip here to get John and I taking out creeps still. She is obsessive".

"I don't get that she goes after the worst of the worst and the finest of the rest" Callen chimed in.

"She has no remorse only a obsessional need to stop the bad guys" Nate replied, "and if anyone gets in her way she gets them out of the way".

"It's usually the cops that get in the way of bad guys, You're saying she is targeting them because they were just unfortunately the ones that got the bad guys first" Sam asked incredulously.

"And you and John were her biggest road blocks" Callen finished.

"No just me." Nate replied getting to his feet. "I talked her down, found her. I was at her arrest; John was the other side of the city". Nate said as he paced away from them. Taking a breath he stopped and turned sniffing the air.

"Coffee on the table" Sam supplied with a small grin.

Nate returned to the sofa and after squinting located the cup and picked it up tenderly before continuing.

"John was only marginally involved in the case at any point. He threw it to me claimed too much personal involvement as he had worked too closely with Jane. He gave me a comprehensive profile and background then stepped out of my way. It was a huge career break for me. At most she may think he failed her but he never obstructed her. If he had taken the case she would of been caught sooner". Nate said sounding exasperated and pacing slowly again cradling his diminishing coffee in his good hand.

During the time nate had been talking Kensi had reappeared in the bullpen. "If that's not decaf you gave Nate you better hide it before Hetty finds out, and if he takes his sling off Hetty is going to use it to do something inventive to the person that did not stop him. He has pulled stitches already". Nate again had the fly catching appearance of a man not sure how to respond to being talked about.

Before anyone could answer Kensi's phone rang. "Deeks" she said as she answered her phone. After a moment of listening her face fell, "Stay put, I'll come get you, that's an order". Kensi ended the call and turned to face the group assembled. "Some kind of explosion at the police precinct, Deeks is at the hospital he was cut by glass from the breaking windows".

Eric had joined them controller in hand obviously about to deliver news similar to the news broke by Kensi.

"Kensi, hospital, Eric anything useful you can tell us?" Callen said to Kensi's already retreating back.

"Maybe," Eric said "Nate this is the woman from the restaurant first taking and then returning your phone". On the tv the two videos played. "This is a close up of her" Eric said replacing the video with a still image. "I am running her through facial recognition but got no hits yet".

Nate stood up and moved closer to the screen, "She looks familiar", he stated before heading to the pile of pictures he had had next to him on the sofa. He pulled out one and walked back to the tv. After a moment of comparing Sam joined him.

"Can you see yet?" he asked Nate before taking the picture off Nate, comparing for himself and then addressing the rest of the group which had now expanded to include Nell and Hetty. "It's her, Sheila Manning, been missing 17 days. If we can find her we may find a link to Jane".

"I know where she is" Nate announced.

"Where" asked Callen making ready to walk out, finally a break, this woman was really starting to annoy him.

"Morgue" Nate said quietly going back to his folder of missing people. "Found in the river yesterday John told me about her". Nate picked up the rest of the file and headed to the stairs. "I need to go over the old files again properly, she's obsessive, follows patterns, and how I found her last time will help me this time."

"Us" Sam said correcting Nate's statement. "We'll find her Nate".

Nate nodded by way of reply and headed up the stairs.

Sam looked at Callen, "he's holding back, why is a cop killing spree so classified and why kill John first and play with Nate?"

"Let's get Eric and Nell to look into John on the quiet". Callen said.

"and Nate?" Sam asked

"Think if we tied bells on him Hetty would get upset?" Callen said after a moment looking past Sam who's back was to the staircase.

Sam turned to look at Callen but glimpsed Nate out of the corner of his eyes, suddenly Callen's comment made sense. From the look on Nate's face it was apparent that he had heard the whole conversation.

"John was a good man, Jane is the one you need to look into not him" Nate said walking right upto the two agents.

"We are not saying he's a bad guy. We just think that there is something else" Callen said trying to pasify the psychologist. "Why is this case so classified, Eric still can't get parts of the original case file".

"You told us that John was barely involved in the case, but he did know her before everything happened and that was why he passed this to you" Sam said evenly.

"You think he has something to do with her?" Nate asked trying to wrap his thinking processes around what they might possibly be saying.

"Let's think about it all Nate, he hands off the case citing personal involvement, just before she strikes on her grand return tour he has you meet him and is all nostalgic, whilst you are with him you have your phone cloned. Someone access's your drop box that John has access to too. He dies quickly and first yet there should be no reason for her to go after anyone but you first apparently." Callen reasoned.

"What aren't you telling us Doc?" Sam asked.

Nate looked like he wanted to argue but suddenly deflated, instead he walked over to the desks and contemplated it's over cluttered surface. "You know a desk says a lot about a person look at Kensi's so much going on, a collection of the past, physical trophies from the present and plans for the future. Then there's Callen's only the present is on display succinct and uncluttered no unnecessary baggage. Sam yours, trophies and patriotism, you take things as they come and go. Look at Deek's chaos just like his thought processes a dual job the man is trying to keep up with here his present and the LAPD a shadow over his life, he really needs to choose and stop floating in limbo."

Nate stopped contemplating the desks and seemed caught up in memories again. Just when Sam was going to prompt he started talking again. "When John handed me the case I was surprised but jumped at the role none the less, I knew it would be a carer maker and I knew I could find her. I had concerns about why he would not take the case having worked with her should not be a reason to hold back. I wondered if they had been more intimately involved.

"It was not uncommon or against the rules we were civilian contractors so I did not ask questions and when he asked for progress updates I told him, he gave me some guidance about her especially. When we brought her in, he was waiting for us and I gave them a few minutes together before she was booked. Time to say goodbye really".

"He left Houston the next day. Each time I saw him in his office during the investigation his desk was in different states showing his emotional state for the entire world to read if they knew how. His desk was emptier each time I saw it, he was putting things in order I realised afterwards that he had been planning his departure all along as soon as she was caught. I think he knew before anything she did that she was bad. He had protected and enabled her and felt responsible I think".

Nate stopped and looked at the agents before his eyes became unfocused again, seeing something the others did not.

"That's the worst part about believing the best of everyone, you're going to get let down and it sucks".

Sam and Callen exchanged glances unsure if Nate was referring to John or someone else.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Liar, Liar

By lunchtime all at the office had calmed down. Deeks was sat at his desk moaning about his cuts from the glass as though he was still bleeding to death. Kensi was sat close by looking into all the available files on Jane Doe's past, incarcerated and present, there were still some files missing which really annoyed all concerned even more so as Nate continued to be oblivious to the fact that they wanted to know what was being withheld.

Callen was still puffy faced but not as much as Nate who still could not see properly and had constantly streaming eyes. The second time he tipped over the coffee pot Sam had forbidden him from fetching his own coffee. The cracked TV, chipped plant pot and stained rugs from the successful cups of coffee had not helped matters.

As Sam fetched Nate what felt like his hundredth coffee, this guy had more coffee in his veins then Deeks, and that was saying something, he saw the pad Nate was writing on. It had only a sketch of the doll nothing else.

"Seriously Nate, drawing pictures is not that productive", Sam said agitation breaking through.

All heads snapped round at Sam's unusual outburst except Nate, he just kept staring at the paper.

"I don't know why the dolls" he stated simply.

"You said that earlier" Sam said settling on the sofa next to Nate. The man was getting emotional maybe he would let slip some information if worked the right way.

"Was there a doll part with the body of Sheila Manning?" Nate asked.

Kensi who had the report from the coroners looked at it, "yes a leg".

"How did you know it would be a part? You got a whole" Callen asked joining in the pseudo interrogation; he had picked up on his partner's line of thinking.

"Sheila Manning was an expandable tool, not worthy of a whole doll. The other missing persons that have shown up dead probably had parts with them too" Nate replied.

Callen who was following up on the missing persons lead nodded an affirmative so far four had turned up including Sheila Manning, though with the amount of people who on average go missing they had no idea who really was had by Jane Doe, only the assumption that she took and used victims of crime or abuse, people failed by society, the addicts, prostitutes, rape and mugging victims that could not cope. The vulnerable created by the scum or the fallen angels as she had once referred to them in a conversation with Nate. Nate thought back to the conversation, years before remembering the helplessness of being trapped in a bed connected to machines while she held a gun on him, for the second time in as many days. He quickly stayed those thoughts not wanting to go there with the others present. He had so much to protect and they were digging.

"She never told me why the dolls, the only thing I am sure about with them is the more important the person the more of the doll they get. I am the first to get a whole doll that I know of. Lucky me" Nate added the last part sarcastically.

"Sam where are the doll parts?" Nate suddenly asked rising to his feet. Another memory nudging at his thoughts but just out of reach. He abruptly stood up and started pacing. Trying to hold onto the fleeting thoughts, he was tired and the others were trying to take advantage of that. He raised his mental guards aiming to finish this conversation quickly, secrets intact.

"Still at the morgue but they need to be at the lab, where the parts you received are. Let's go I need fresh air anyway" Sam said mostly directed at Callen. He could tell Nate was onto him and if he was not going to be forthcoming with information then Sam was going back to agitated with him.

"Kensi you take Nate to the safe house we talked about earlier, and moaning shaggy you go home feed your dog maybe he will give you some sympathy" Callen said realising getting Sam away from Nate for a while would be a good idea.

As Deeks tried to protest Sam cut him off, "we know but Kensi will have back up there. We all need to be fresh for tomorrow; we are taking down this woman". He said as he walked ahead of Callen and out of the building.

"I'm staying here" Nate said to Kensi trying to sound finale about his argument, I want to carry on working.

"Nate you can barely see, we are going to the safe house" Kensi retorted, "Deeks go home, I'll see you in the morning when you relive me, You know the address".

Deeks saluted an affirmative and headed to the door glad he was Nate at this moment.

Nate took one look at Kensi and stowed all arguments, a little sleep might not hurt and then he could head back to the office early. He had missed the thread of the conversation which meant they did not intend for him to leave the safe house once he was there.

As Kensi and Nate started to follow in the direction Deeks had just headed they could hear Deeks phone ringing he stopped and answered it and then walked back towards Kensi but after taking in Nate headed out of his earshot.

Nate getting the message clearly kept going and got into Kensi's car leaving Kensi and Deeks alone. If he put a wager on it he would have said Callen had had Deeks look into John. Nate gritted his teeth he would have something to say to Callen next time he saw the team leader.

Outside the car Deeks hung up the phone and turned to face Kensi but not in direct sight of Nate either.

Deeks did not start talking straight away he was obviously unhappy about what he had heard.

"Did Nate mention the involvement of the anti-terrorism squad in the original case?" Deeks asked.

"Nate worked anti-terrorism he stepped in when Reddick stepped back, the case was never anti-terrorism or even terrorism related as far as we know". Kensi replied. "Nate just came from that team but she worked serious crime".

"Apparently", replied Deeks, "Jane Doe got only 8 life sentences instead of death row and got to stay in Houston because of a deal Nate made with her to bring her in. Apparently she gave up some information worth all that and terrorism related my Texan source says".

"You have a Texan source?" Kensi asked while she was thinking about what Deeks had just told her. If it was true then Nate was deliberately holding back a big piece of information. Why?

"I'm owed favours by people that are owed favours by people that know people. I don't upset every cop I meet" Deeks said elaborately trying to lighten kensi's mood. "My source also said that Nate was shot during the original investigation then she came to him in the hospital and that is where it all went down. He didn't find her she found him".

"Who's your source? Is he reliable?"

"He's an old timer, he was around at the time and he remembers the events well. You know it barely made local press before a media blackout got put in place. It was all hush hush. And I mean really hush hush". Noticing that Kensi was not enjoying this news, Deeks finished up his spiel, "The one thing he said categorically was Nate was a good guy, really good at his job he is somewhat the hero for talking her down and bringing her in".

Kensi turned and looked at Nate who was getting out of the car again apparently fed up with waiting. "Are you talking about John? I told Callen to leave him alone".

"Actually I was checking up on you". Deeks responded attempting to square up to the taller man, Kensi would have laughed at Deeks puffing his chest upwards if she wasn't so mad at Nate. "What happened in the hospital? What did she give you as part of the deal made? Why not tell us this was a terrorism case?"

"Some things are old, don't matter now. It's only the person that matters and what she is capable of, why she is doing this". Nate replied.

"And why is she doing this Nate?" Kensi asked annoyed with Nate, "You don't decide what we need to know, you tell us everything".

Nate stared back at Kensi, looking lost in thoughts again. "I can't answer that. She just has to do this".

"She just has too?" repeated Deeks, as Nate's phone beeped, he had been clutching it tightly since he got out of the car; this wasn't the first beep Deeks realised. Kensi was not noticing the phone.

Kensi raised her arm to silence her partner, she was not finished having her say.

"Nate, she just has too is not an answer and you are withholding on us, if Sam doesn't kick your but I will. Start talking".

"No" Nate replied simply almost too quietly to be heard over another beep.

"No?" Kensi repeated in an unbelieving tone.

"No" repeated Nate more confidently. "You know what you need to, this is a local case anyway not NCIS. Why are you even involved in this?" Nate challenged getting upset.

"Umm, I don't know, you got shot, Callen got tear gassed and Deeks got blown up for starters" Kensi responded her voice rising.

"Nearly blown up, still here" Deeks interrupted trying to calm the two down, who new Nate could bite back.

"Only because you are involved where you don't belong" Nate retorted.

Nate's phone beeped in his hand again.

"Someone is after you Nate of course we are involved" Deeks got in before Kensi could escalate the argument.

Beep

"Well now it's time to not be. I'm going down to the police station", Nate said waving his phone to emphasise something, it was lost on Deeks and Kensi. Nate started to head back into the office, "I'll get someone else to drive me".

"We are going to the safe house Nate", Kensi called to his retreating back. Shaking her head she turned to Deeks, "go call Sam and Callen bring them up to speed can your source tell us anymore?"

"He gave me another name to follow up. Jason Brewn". Deeks replied as he pulled out his phone.

Kensi just looked back at Deeks, "on it" he replied getting the idea. He headed to his own car calling Sam on the way.

Kensi turned and headed towards the entrance to round up the psychologist. What was he withholding and why, and why did he think it was totally not relevant and okay to withhold? And why did he think he could just go the cops leave his team behind and think they would be fine with it.

In the building Kensi couldn't find Nate. She did find Hetty. "You look like you have lost something Miss Blye?"

"Nate, he just came in", Kensi replied heading to the area used by the information and tech guys, and they were the people Nate would go to for a ride.

"Dr Getz never came in Miss Blye". Hetty replied coming round her desk being forced to follow the moving Kensi in order to continue this conversation.

"Yes he did, we were right outside I just watched him walk in".

"You watched him come in?" Hetty clarified.

"Yes, No, I did not see him come through the actual door. But where else would he have gone" Kensi asked suddenly feeling very concerned Hetty positioned her desk so she everyone who arrived or left.

"I thought you were taking him to the safe house?" questioned Hetty.

"He wants us to drop the case, and was going down to the LAPD to be involved there. Maybe he won't lie to them", Kensi said bitterly as she pulled out her phone to call Nate's. Straight to voicemail.

"Lie?"

Kensi started to fill in Hetty as she called Callen to tell him they had lost Nate. He was going to wish he was dead when she got hold of him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - The Case of the Disappearing Doctor.

"Follow up on this Jason Brewn and call back Nell and Eric get them to see if they can find Nate. He won't get far." Callen hung up on Kensi looking more fed up then before if it was possible.

"What?" Sam asked, Callen's side of the conversation had amounted to grunts until the last statement.

"Nate apparently wants us to drop the case and has wandered off" Callen supplied in way of information to Sam.

"Really?" Sam was wondering how Nate had wandered off from Kensi. However he did it it would hurt later.

Callen smiled knowing what Sam was thinking, he was thinking it himself. He continued explaining, "Looks like some aspect of the old case could be terrorism related and Nate didn't find her last time, she found him, in the hospital after she had put him there by shooting him".

"She seems to like shooting him" Sam replied "Beginning to like the idea myself, bet Kensi likes it better" he added.

"He doesn't have the skill set to hide from us for long and he knows we won't just drop this case. Sounds like he is using a diversionary tactic to follow something up. Apparently he was getting text messages from someone. Eric is on it. The others will find him soon. What do you make of these doll parts" Callen asked bringing Sam's attention back to the matter at hand.

They were stood either side of an examination table the doll parts spread out between them. Sam was prodding at them with tweezers. Nate's curiosity about the parts had him thinking they were more than just doll parts too. But where Nate thought symbolism, Sam thought tool. Callen kept talking out loud about the case but it was background noise to Sam something had caught his eye. Paper.

Carefully Sam extracted the paper from the doll part and quickly he recovered bits of paper from the other parts too.

"We should have the lab check the whole doll Nate got" Sam started; pausing when he realised there was a breeze in the room. Looking up he realised the extraction vents were feeding air in with a whistling noise. "Callen" Sam started to question but realised Callen was not paying attention to him now.

"G" Sam said getting his attention belatedly he was realising Callen had not seen the paper Sam had found he was focusing on the whistling from the air vents.

Sam realised he was feeling a bit lightheaded and not in a good way. Callen was leaning on the table his eyes unfocused. He was a good 4 foot closer to the extraction vent than Sam.

"Run, now" Sam yelled loudly shoving Callen's arm for emphasis across the table; he now had Callen's full attention.

The two agents ran for the door, Sam pulling the fire alarm as he passed it.

"Clear the building, unknown gas, move now" Sam yelled at everyone as they passed. No one needed telling twice. One thing positive about the times they lived in. Security conscious people made some things easier, no questions or chat backs.

Once outside the building Sam called Eric to update him and arrange for appropriate backup.

"Where is the air vented?" Sam asked a passing man in a boiler suit hoping he was maintenance of some kind.

"The roof" he replied pointing up.

"Can we get up there without going back in?" Callen asked.

"Yep, external fire escape right round that corner" he replied pointing off to the corner behind where they were all gathered.

As Callen and Sam headed in the indicated direction the PD showed up and after flashing badges two uniforms followed the duo up the staircase.

Once on the roof it became evident very quickly that there was a large unmarked canister attached to the output vent from the air extraction system. Sam, using a black glove from his pocket, turned off the canister. A metal crowbar had been forced through the slats forcing the output open and a crude tap and plastic assembly meant that only the gas from the canister went in, nothing came out.

Sam directed the uniformed men to stay with the assembly till a crime scene unit arrived to process the scene.

Back on the ground after handing over the crime scene Sam and Callen headed back to the car.

"Did we get anything from the dolls?" Callen asked as they got in. He did not attempt to start the car but instead reached for water.

"You need the paramedics?" Sam asked giving Callen the once over, "you were right under that vent".

"No, I'm good now, felt like I did at the dentists just now but head clearing, you?"

"Was light headed but cleared really quickly" Sam replied not sounding entirely convinced. After a beat he continued, "will feel a whole lot better when know what was in the canister though".

Callen nodded in agreement and was starting the car when a lab technician knocked on the window.

"Nitrous oxide" the technician stated like the two words told an entire story.

Callen raised his eyebrows indicating the guy could continue and explain what he meant, the guy said nothing more.

"Laughing gas" Sam supplied also waiting for the guy to elaborate but apparently he was not going to.

"What about it?" Callen asked.

"It was in the canister, why is someone trying to kill us with it?" the technician asked. "Enough in a confined space will kill" he elaborated when the two men in the car made no response.

"Let's wait for the official report, you'll be kept informed. You sure its nitrous oxide?" Callen reassured and asked.

"Yep, definetly" again no elaboration from the technician.

With a glance at each other Callen started the car and the two men headed towards ops.

"So the dolls" Callen prompted again taking the conversation back to where it was before the technician interrupted them.

"These" Sam said holding out 5 small pieces of paper. Each with a series of numbers on them.

"They look like locations, longitude and latitude" Callen said after glancing over at them.

"And none too far apart" Sam added busy snapping a picture of them and sending it back to ops for Eric to identify for when they got there.

Nate carried on down the alley acutely aware that walking out on the others when he actually needed them was a really dumb idea. But they were going to dig and he had others to protect. If they got Jane back behind bars he could put the whole nightmare behind him. Again. A clattering made Nate take cover further into the shadows. After a moment the shadows of two cats chasing each other and play fighting came into view briefly before they disappeared under a dumpster.

Nate laughed at himself, afraid of the shadows of two kittens. He thought about the man he was going to meat. A guy most others considered a bent cop when the money suited him, but if there was nothing financially in it for him he was a good cop. The whole Jane Doe affair he had been straight, he would take money to look the other way for small stuff, not that anyone proved it, but cop killers did not get his support brought or otherwise.

Nate carried on down the alley aware it would get dark soon.

Beep.

'Meet me at the diner on 4th'. His phone read.

'You sure?' Nate sent back.

Beep.

'Hide in plain sight. You should remember that'. Came the response.

At the Diner Nate spotted Jason straight away. He was sat with two coffees at a table in a corner with a good view of the door. Nate did not reach for the one intended for him. He liked Jason, did not mean he trusted him.

"Sorry to hear about Reddick", Jason said by way of a greeting as Nate settled himself in a chair opposite after moving it so he had a view of the door as well.

"No you're not" Nate countered once settled.

"You're right, I'm not. The guy was out for me. So were you as I remember" Jason replied eye to eye with Nate.

"You're good at covering your tracks." Nate challenged.

"We both know what I am, but you won't say I'm big-time, and the benefits are I slip the small guys and always get the big guy". Jason explained. He liked Nate he had Jason pegged from early on in their work acquaintance but could not prove anything so never called him out in front of anyone. And Jason meant it, Nate could not argue the results of his unethical work practice, it had helped Nate the first time around and was going to now. Jason reasoned someone had to do what he did so the rest stayed shiny clean.

"You know my team will work out where I am quickly and be here, I'm surprised I got away as easily as I did" Nate said bringing the conversation round to why they were there.

Jason smiled, "Then we don't have long. What have you told them?"

"Noting they don't need to know, they have worked out some bits for themselves, someone in Houston is talking". Nate said, he had read enough into Deeks side bar with Kensi. It was inevitable that they would follow up with the locals back in Houston.

"How much do they know?" Jason said looking worried. "No-one in Houston knows I am here and I want it to stay that way".

"It was a terrorism investigation and I made a deal in the hospital. They will only know about you if the guy in Houston talked about you. Can you find out who's talking?" Nate asked.

"Guarantee I will. Nate she just needs putting back behind bars or better yet under the ground" Jason said trying to reassure Nate or himself he was unsure.

"We need to find where she is recruiting her volunteers from. Last time she was using support groups and approaching them as a police officer. This time she does not have that access I think, but her targets are the same. All the missing persons that I have tied to her come from all over but all had addictions. Most were described as being in recovery I think she might be targeting meetings and support groups still". Nate explained to Jason.

"I'll follow up that angle" Jason replied, "You leave, if your team are on the way I don't want them meeting me".

"My phone is a burner; I'll turn it on periodically to check for updates from you". Jason added.

Back at ops Eric and Nell had the texts on the screen from Nate's phone. He had his GPS turned off so they did not know where he was for sure but Deeks and \Kensi were on the way to the diner on 4th.

Sam and Callen were trying to work out the numbers; it had been GPS co-ordinates from the original Jane Doe crime scenes. They were debating whether a tribute or trophy. Nate was the one to ask about that thinking not that either man was inclined to care about his professional opinions at the moment.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – The Girl With No Name

Nate left the diner and started walking along the busiest stretch of road. He knew the team were closing in but he wanted a few more minutes. Taking his time to put his battery back in his phone he thought through the situation.

Jason and he had not talked about John. A lot was simply unsaid. No matter how Nate thought about it the nagging feeling that John knew what was coming and had set Nate up and not warned him kept coming back to Nate.

As soon as his phone was connected it bleeped to inform him of missed messages. Nate did not need to listen to these to have an idea of the content. Almost instantly it started ringing. Kensi showing on caller ID.

Nate answered the phone bracing himself for the onslaught. Silence greeted him on the other end.

"Hello" Nate prompted again. After another minute Deeks could be heard in the background.

Finally Kensi spoke. "Not nice is it?" she asked.

Nate looked around waiting for the shoe to fall, entirely unsure what she was getting too.

"Not being told what's going on, being kept in the dark; it's not nice is it? Almost as bad as being lied to" Yep Kensi was upset, this phone call was just the start of the vent.

Nate decided the lecture could wait till later. "Callen was right" he said sharply and clearly, ending the tirade.

"Oh" was all Kensi could come out with.

"I need to get back to ops. Are you close?" Nate asked.

"Turn around" Kensi replied. Nate complied and saw the silver SUV pull up alongside him. He got in and the ride back to ops was silent but not as tense as it could be. All that was said was a promise Callen wanted to talk to him by Deeks.

"So what was I right about?" Callen asked by way of greeting as Nate walked into ops.

"John made a point of telling me about Sheila Manning during the hostage situation despite everything going on," Nate started to explain, "he took me to the restaurant before that so that same said woman could get close to me. As soon as she got my phone she was a dead woman. Jane has specific jobs for people, not long term career plans".

"What are you saying Mr. Getz?" Hetty asked aware that Nate was questioning a man he had considered a friend.

In the original investigation I documented that I thought there was another person involved feeding her information. I always considered it most likely to be a detective Jason Brewn, know as a bent cop but the dirt never sticks to him. He had information I can't see how he could have got without speaking to Jane. But his dealing with a cop killer who severely injured his partner never sat right with me, so I never officially named him. He gave me information that was critical to her being arrested. But now I think about it he had means and informants that could have been his source. John however" Nate paused not liking what he was about to admit. "I think he set me up possibly and I don't know why".

The room was quiet for a moment with Sam eventually breaking the silence. "You said before you thought Riddick and Jane may have had more of a relationship then just co-workers". Sam started, he raised his hand when Nate looked like he would interrupt. "I know it's not easy thinking of someone you trust as betraying you, and saying that about anyone, especially a cop, you need to be stood on solid ground to say that".

"I know" Nate replied, "I can't back it up, but things don't fit if I don't think of that as a possible reason I am not being objective. How far did you look into him?" Nate asked directly to Callen.

"Not far enough yet. Eric, Nell see what we can find out about all his recent communications and bank transfers." Callen responded turning to face the computer whiz and analyst.

Eric and Nell both responded by turning to their computers and starting their searching.

"Fill in some more gaps Nate, no more stonewalling". Callen asked.

Nate looked around and finding an empty chair he settled himself into it.

"Last time Jane funded her activities by supplying info to a domestic terrorist group. At the end she turned them in for not receiving the death penalty. I made the deal with her."

"And you had authority to make that deal?" Hetty asked. Nate knew what she was thinking, he was a newbie then. Not a great deal of experience and he was ambitious more than careful back then too.

"My questioning led me with Detective Brewn to a girl, Nate continued, she was in witness protection but Jane had got to her through a support group. Jane looked right through the lies to a tool, she didn't see the girl." Again Nate started pacing this time his hand on his right shoulder where the bullet from years ago had struck.

"This girl was barely 19, was in witness protection in exchange for information about her father, he was an anti-government separatist kind of man. Jason never said how he knew the girl but I have my own opinion on that matter. Jane had been supplying her father with information on her in exchange for money and guns. When we went to interview her Jane was there."

Nate sat down again before continuing not making eye contact with anyone apparently lost in his memories seeing them not the current audience to his tale. "We didn't know at first but the girl had been seeing the news, she knew Jane was not the friend she had pretended to be, when we told her we thought Jane was selling information about her to her father Jane appeared from another room and all hell broke loose. Jane and Jason were shooting I tried to protect the girl but the bullet went through me into her head. She died instantly still holding onto me. Jane blamed me for her death. Said I was the target and should not have been near the girl. That's why she came for me in the hospital."

Silence reigned in the ops centre for a few moments before Nell broke the silence, "but you made a deal with her?"

"The loss of the witness was a major blow for the domestic terrorism case. Jane knew a lot of what the girl had known and had contacts as well as evidence she kept from her dealings as a get out of jail free card. In her case a get out of death row card. We knew she would come I was bait; she needed to get rid of her biggest road block. I was in her head now and I wasn't going to give up. She was cornered in the hospital room with me. The deal her only good option."

Everyone was thinking about what Nate had said. It was quiet except for the tapping away by Eric. Sam broke the silence first "what was the girl's name?" could Jane be exploiting that link?"

"The girl is dead Sam, her father in prison and the cause long since broken apart. Jane turned on them for herself she wouldn't get help there if they were in a position to give it. You don't need to know about the terrorism case the two intersected but were not tied together."

"You know that answer sucks right?" Sam asked rounding on Nate. "Still covering? What about detective Jason Brewn? Where does he fall in all this?"

"Jason, I think he knows something that goes a long way to explaining this." Nate said unfocusing on the room again. "John's last article, he had me edit it for him. I thought it was a strange subject for him but maybe he was just making peace." Nate pulled himself out of his thoughts and focused again on the room and people who were waiting for answers. "I need to read the article again." He announced as though that rounded out everything and left the ops centre in the direction of his office.

Callen followed Nate out of ops making sure the man did not leave the building, Sam continued to work on the numbers, they had forgotten to ask Nate about them, it would have to wait. Kensi and Deeks continued to sift through John's life with the help of Eric and Nell.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – It's obvious...

Callen sat opposite the operational psychologist watching him reading intently. He had spoke to Nate a few times but received no answer. As he watched the man reading for what was clearly the second time getting a very dark look over his face. Callen had been deceived as well, let down by those he trusted it hurt and Nate looked like he was hurting.

Callen looked down to the files in his hands; it was the locations taken from the dolls marked on satellite images. Two police stations, an intersection, the infamous hospital, county jail and county morgue. It had not taken Sam long to look up the morgue and find it was an incident with nitrous oxide similar to the one they had experienced. The two police stations were the same MO as had happened in the past couple of days first poisoning and then a small incendiary device. The intersection was a hit and run more a means of escaping then a premeditated act in the circumstances. The officer had been hurt but survived. The hospital events they knew from Nate but the jail, an incident after the deal had been made and Jane was incarcerated. Nell and Eric as had yet been unable to come up with any details other than a fire was recorded on the date that Jane was held there for the night.

There were other incidents as well on her vigilante spree, but only these ones were given place in the dolls.

"Why these ones?" Callen asked out loud as he looked at the maps again. "Why?"

Nate closed the article he was reading through for the second time, "huh" he asked. When did Callen come in he wondered.

As if reading his mind Callen replied, "been here all the time, being ignored I might add."

"Oh"

"Any words in your vocabulary?" Callen countered to the non committal sounds Nate seemed reduced to by the article.

"Why these locations and not others?" Callen asked again.

"What you talking about?" Nate asked sitting forward trying to see what was in Callens lap, "Which locations why?"

"The locations in the dolls were for these events" Callen elaborated passing the marked printouts onto the desk, "what was special about these? It's not in a chronological order, not in severity of the incident. Do they seem to mean anything to you?"

Nate studied the printouts as intently as he had read through the article. Switching between the six pages till he started to put them in some order. One that appeared to him as if it seemed to make sense. Having seemed to get them in order Nate stood, so quickly that his chair was knocked over. Before Callen could get to his feet Nate was already out of the office. By the time Callen had caught up with man they were in the ops centre and Nate had apparently asked Eric for something that Eric was not grasping.

Callen made a guess and asked Eric to display a map of Houston with all the doll locations marked on it. Eric complied and soon all were gathered around Nate as he seemed to be making connections. All waiting for the verbal version of his inner monologue as his manic page switching between the article and the maps and checking of the screen did not give anything away.

Hetty eventually broke the observation silence "I assume that the reading was enlightening, would you be so kind as to fill the rest of us in?"

Nate looked fit to burst "The first police station in Houston in the dolls locations, officers there put a arrest warrant out on her the people who killed her mum and dad after firstly letting them go," he started with the energetic impatience of someone annoyed the rest were not keeping up and wanting to get to the end of the conversation already. "The second station, the one with the incidenary device those officers were chasing the men when they crashed their car into her parents killing them".

Nate stared at the others like it was all plainly obvious, he was greeted with dumbstruck faces and confused looks.

Sam broke the silence, "she blames cops for her parents death and so became a cop?" He did not sound convinced.

"She's always blamed the cops for being an orphan. They can't do a good enough job to protect people Jane thinks".

Nate stopped and looked down working something else out. "John wrote this article, I think he knew about her escape, I just don't think he believed she would come here, it's why he never told me till the first attack to leave town"

"Was John connected to the parents case?" Callen asked.

"John had been in the police chase according to this, purely by chance. I think he knew who she was all along. They weren't romantically involved, he just protected her out of guilt. He couldn't stop what happened to her parents".

"Jane was 7, saw it all from the play park. Her parents were sat on a bench watching her when they were hit by the out of control car".

"Sad" Eric pitched in. Not much else to say. The room had gone momentarily morbid.

"Yes sad for the child but not an excuse for the adult to kill" Hetty returned walking up beside Nate and looking at the article he was blankly staring at. "Alison Moore?" she asked.

It was hand written in the bottom left of the page in pencil. "Her real name possibly" Nate asked.

Before Hetty had turned to Eric he had started typing and searching for the name. Soon they had some history of the Jane up to her disappearance at the age of 17. Foster homes, children's homes a lot like Callens story but the list was much shorter. Callen had remained quiet and no-one interrupted him.

"Does any of this tell us how to find her?" Kensi asked.

Beep

All eyes turned to Nate as his phone beeped. It was not going to be overlooked. He had not mentioned Jason was in town and no-one surprisingly had asked him who he had met with.

"You didn't ask who I met at the diner" Nate stated questioned looking between Sam and Callen.

"We didn't" Sam replied "Who did you meet, Jason Brewn?"

Nate just tightened his lips, tetchy subject best leave alone.

Beep

"You're phone Doc" Callen said forcefully any good will he had also evaporated but this change in subject.

Nate pulled his phone out from the farthest bottom of his jean pocket and brought the screen to life and opened the messages.

'Can we meet' the first message read,

'Urgent 911' read the second.

He shared the messages with the others.

"Tell him yes" Callen instructed from close up to Nate. There was no room for argument.

Nate started to feel more knots forming in his stomach. "He won't show if I'm not alone" Nate said.

"Oh you'll appear alone" Sam interjected crossing the room and picking up a box of ear wigs and pin cameras.

"Ahhh" Nate responded, somehow this did not make him feel better.


End file.
